RAFAEL BENITEZ has delivered a dressing down to Javier Mascherano after the Argentine seemingly cast doubt over his long-term Liverpool future.

And the Anfield manager has warned potential suitors they are wasting their time attempting to lure key squad members away from the club.

Mascherano caused a stir last week when he admitted that while happy at Liverpool, he was unsure he would be playing there next season.

With the Anfield outfit still challenging for the Premier League title, the comments – which were made in a television interview – were met with astonishment by club insiders and the player was asked by Benitez to explain himself.

And although Benitez believes the talks were “positive”, the Spaniard accepts there is no guarantee Mascherano will be at Liverpool in future years.

“I didn’t know about his comments so I talked to him about them and he was clear that he is happy here,” said the Anfield manager.

“You can’t stop clubs talking with his agent because he is a good player, and there aren’t too many holding midfielders of his calibre.

“When you have four or five top clubs asking about you, you don’t want to say no because you know in football that everything can change.

“So from a player’s point of view, and especially from the agent’s, they try to keep the doors open for everyone.

“But does he want to leave? I don’t think so. He knows the best option for him at this

moment is this club. In three years time you never know, but now he knows this is the best option.”

Barcelona and Real Madrid are among a clutch of teams rumoured to be interested in Mascherano, who has prove a huge success since arriving at Anfield from West Ham United in January 2007.

Xabi Alonso is being courted by Juventus and Real Madrid but Benitez has no intention of letting go of his most prized assets.

“We want to keep all our key players here, so it is the same story with Xabi,” added the Spaniard.

Liverpool are likely to be without Alonso for tomorrow evening’s trip to West Ham after suffering an ankle injury in the red-card challenge by Newcastle United’s Joey Barton on Sunday.

However, Mascherano should be available while Torres has recovered from a hamstring problem.

Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish insists the Reds manager must build on the progress that have made this season.

The former Anfield boss said: “Whatever happens this season, it has been one of progress and now we have to make sure we build on it for next year.

“By now the manager will know which players he would like to bring into the club and will have been working for a few months on identifying his targets.

“I hope we're able to do our business as soon as possible because I always feel new players benefit from a full pre-season under their belts.

“We don't yet know how this season is going to finish, but if we can't win the league title then we have to keep going and look to pick up as many points as possible, because that would give us the belief that we can take the next step in 2009-10.

“The impressive thing of late has been the way the boys have kept going, kept winning games and kept the pressure on Manchester United.

“Games are running out and our chances of winning the league are becoming slimmer, but still we're turning in top-class performances and playing a lot of good football.”